"Regina! You made it."

"Yeah, I did. Sorry I'm late." Regina shrugged off her faux fur coat, draping it over her arm. "Got stuck in traffic." She pulled the large sunglasses she wore off her face. "And, you know, fans. Can't go anywhere without getting recognized."

Regina was greeted by her Personal Assistant, a young girl who managed to land the job as part of an artistic internship who dreamed of following in Regina's footsteps. "Let me take that for you." She took the coat, the sunglasses, and other personal affects that weren't needed for the day of shooting. "I'll put them in your trailer, yeah? Makeup is ready for you."

"Thank you, Ruby." Regina made her way over to where the makeup artists were waiting and plopped into the large black chair in front of the lighted mirror. "Hello Jefferson, Kathryn."

Jefferson immediately swept Regina's hair back into a ponytail so that it was out of her face. "How's it going, gorgeous?"

Despite of Jefferson's preference in men, the compliment still made Regina blush. "I'm doing well. Had a long night last night, hope you guys can work your magic and make the bags under my eyes go away."

Kathryn peered closer at Regina's reflection, looking at the eyes specifically. "They're not too bad." She smiled as she reached for a cream that would help. "So I hear it was young Henry's birthday yesterday."

Regina nodded. "It was. He's growing up so fast, ten already. Still, I wanted him to have the perfect party. His whole class came."

"It is truly amazing how you're keeping him in public school," Jefferson commented.

"I just want him to have the most normal childhood possible, as normal as one can have with a famous mother."

"I don't know how you do it," Kathryn stated as she smoothed the cream onto Regina's face. "The fame, the divorce, sole custody. It's hard enough being famous, single, and a parent, let alone all three at once."

"That's the beauty of the job," Regina replied. "For a few hours of the day I get to forget all about that and become an entirely different person. That's how I get by. For a few hours I get to forget that I'm Regina Mills, A-List actress the whole world recognizes. I get to be Sarah Gavin, Trina Decker, Eva Zambrano…"

"The Evil Queen of every fairytale," Jefferson added.

Regina chuckled. "Yes, and the Evil Queen of every fairytale. Henry still can't get over the fact that I convinced the writers to name her son after him."

"That was pretty amazing," Kathryn agreed. "Personally, I think Henry is a much better name for the Evil Queen's son than Abraham. That just makes me think of the President."

Mary Margaret Blanchard had decided to take her students on a field trip to the abandoned mine as it was an integral part of Storybrooke's history and fit right in with the lessons she was teaching. She'd warned the students not to get too close and to be careful, but of course the one student she couldn't afford anything happening to was the one who hadn't listened and ended up getting himself stuck. Heart thudding uncomfortably in her throat, she dug out her cell phone and dialed a number.

Jefferson and Kathryn were just putting the finishing touches on Regina's makeup when Ruby dashed over, looking like she'd just run a marathon.

"Regina." Ruby held her cell phone out to her.

Regina's eyebrows furrowed together. "I told you –"

"Not to let anyone interrupt unless it was important. This is. It's about Henry."

Regina snatched the phone out of her hand, pushing aside her professionalism in favor of maternal worry. "Yes?"

"Ms. Mills! I am so so sorry!"

"Ms. Blanchard, calm down. You sound like you're about to hyperventilate," Regina kept her own voice calm. The deep breaths the teacher was taking were audible as she tried to do as Regina said.

"I – I took the class to the abandoned mines and and and I…I warned everyone not to get too close, bu-bu-but…"

"Henry didn't listen," Regina finished for her.

"A-A-And now he-he's stuck and I don't know wha-what to do a-and please don't hate or s-s-sue me!"

Regina bit her lip. The teacher was clearly punishing herself over what was happening enough as it was, there was no need to add insult to injury. "I won't do anything of the kind," she assured her.

Then she heard a new voice, albeit in the background, "Hey, are you okay, Miss? What's going on?"

There was a cacophony of noise as it seemed the entire class was shouting out answers to the new, feminine arrival. Regina had to hold the phone away from her ear for a moment.

"Someone's stuck in there?...Okay, I can help. I can get them out."

"Oh, I-I don't think that would work. Shouldn't this be a job for…for firemen o-or the police or someone?" Regina heard Ms. Blanchard's protests.

"You know what," Regina kindly stole back the teacher's attention. "I know exactly where you are, I'll be right there."

"Again, I am so, so very sorry, Regina! I feel like this is all my fault."

"Don't blame yourself," Regina told her. "I don't. I'm going to hang up so I can leave, okay?" Once she got the affirmative, she hung up and met the three curious and worried gazes that greeted her. "I have to go. It's Henry. He got himself stuck in a mine in a class field trip." She looked at her reflection in the mirror. "The makeup looks great, guys. Sorry you had to waste it." Then she went off and found the director. She apologized for leaving but recited once more what the family emergency was. She started to head out to her car but then remembered Ruby had taken her stuff to her trailer, including her keys. She changed direction so she could get it back.

"Calling for help will take too long," the blonde that had arrived on the scene tried convincing the teacher. "If someone's stuck down there they could suffocate, pass out, or both. I'm going in."

"What if you get stuck?"

"I'll risk it." The blonde shrugged off her red jacket and headed for the mine. "Stay back, kids," she warned. "We don't need anyone else getting hurt. I'm going in."

The kids and the teacher alike watched in awe as the brave woman who came out of nowhere descended into the mine.

Mary Margaret began to pace up and down, barely able to contain her anxiety. She wondered if she should call the firemen or police or both anyway in case something went wrong and the woman ended up getting stuck too. She was a jumble of nerves and that made her nauseous. Her palms began to sweat as she worried about possible repercussions, even though the actress tried convincing her there wouldn't be any.

Regina was able to keep her worry at bay until she got to the scene. When she arrived she parked and all but leapt from her car. "Is he still down there?" her voice had a panicked edge that she just couldn't quell.

Mary Margaret was snapped out of her own spiraling thoughts. "Ms. Mills! I…yes. But this woman went in after him, she's going to try and get him out. But I think… I'm worried she'll get stuck, too. And if she gets stuck, then…" Her already shaky composure crumbled.

Watching the teacher's thoughts go straight to the worst made it hard to prevent hers from traveling down the same path. She prayed to whatever God or force of nature that was out there that Henry would make it out alright. He was her baby who had just turned ten. If she lost him… She took in a deep breath and occupied herself with tending to the teacher. She wrapped an arm around her shaking shoulders. "I'm sure they'll both come out alright. This woman must know what she's doing if she volunteered to go in after him."

"Why are you being so nice to me? You should hate me right now! If I hadn't brought them here –"

"I told you I don't hate you. It's not your fault. You only wanted to do your job and let the kids have a little fun. You couldn't have known he'd listen to his adventurous side over you. And you let me know right away, and for that I'm thankful. You're punishing yourself too hard over this."

The sound of the atmosphere changed and drew her attention over to the group of children. Finally she saw the cause for that change and abandoned the teacher, running over to where her son and his savior had just emerged. "Henry!" She threw her arms around him. He was a bit dirty, but she didn't care. She was just glad he was alright. "Oh, Henry, you scared everyone! What were you thinking?!" Before he had the chance to answer she turned her attention to the blonde woman. She straightened up and then hugged her as well, without hesitation. "Thank you! You saved my son." When she didn't feel or hear a respond from the woman, she removed herself from her personal space. The woman was red in the face and it didn't just look like the evidence of hard work.

"Uh…" Was the first sound the woman made as she tried to gather her thoughts. "Wait a second. I just saved Regina Mill's son?" She looked down at the brunette boy still at her side. "That's Henry Mills?" Her eyes returned to the brunette woman. "And…And Regina Mills just hugged me?"

Regina laughed at the woman's obvious case of being star-struck. "Yes to all of the above."

"This is crazy. I've been a fan for years! I, uh… I need a minute to process."

Regina let the woman have that minute as she was going to need it for what Regina would tell her next. Because of what she'd done, Regina was now determined to befriend this woman. Seemed like an easy enough task now that she knew she was a fan. "What's your name?"

"I'm Emma. Emma Swan."

"Well, Emma Swan, as I can not think of a proper way to thank you for saving my son's life, I would like to become friends."

The expression of shock and disbelief on Emma's face was comical.